WASHINGTON, WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s geographical position places the island directly within what Minister Plenipotentiary Jérôme Beeldsnijder describes as the regional “security backyard” of the United States, making developments in Washington particularly important for the island’s economy and security.
Beeldsnijder makes the assessment in his latest newsletter examining Curaçao’s geopolitical position and the Caribbean dimension of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
According to him, the United States should not be viewed by Curaçao only as a friendly country or important tourism market. Washington is also part of the island’s everyday economic and security environment.
Developments in the United States can have consequences for trade, logistics, tourism, investment and regional security in Curaçao and the other Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
“Curaçao simply lies where it lies,” Beeldsnijder writes, describing the island as being located in the regional “security backyard” of the United States.
He points specifically to American security policy in the Caribbean, including the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. According to the publication, the initiative addresses crime, strengthening police and justice institutions, youth crime prevention and regional information sharing.
Curaçao, Beeldsnijder argues, is located directly within that regional security environment.
He says that should not be interpreted as a cause for alarm, but as a reason for Curaçao to better understand its position.
Beeldsnijder, who represents Curaçao in Washington, says he works in an environment where economics, security, trade, diplomacy and geopolitics are increasingly interconnected. Decisions and discussions in Washington can sometimes have a more immediate impact on the Caribbean than may be apparent from Curaçao itself.
He also places Curaçao within the much larger relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
According to the publication, the Netherlands has more than US$726 billion in foreign direct investment in the United States, making it one of the country's largest foreign investors. Economic links range from agriculture and logistics to advanced technology and semiconductors.
Curaçao therefore finds itself at the intersection of several relationships: the Kingdom’s historic ties with Washington, the island’s proximity to Venezuela and South America, and its own economic and security interests in the Caribbean.
Beeldsnijder argues that Curaçao should use that position rather than simply react to geopolitical developments.
“A small country does not need to be a great power to be significant,” he concludes.